Plan on Women, Peace, and Security

The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): On December 19, 2011, President Obama issued Executive Order 13595 directing that the executive branch have and begin to implement a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (“National Action Plan”). 76 Fed. Reg. 80,205 (Dec. 23, 2011). Among the areas for U.S. Government activities and initiatives identified in E.O. 13595 are women's “participation in peace processes and decisionmaking” in conflict-affected environments and “conflict prevention.” The National Action Plan was issued on December 19, 2011 and is available at (internet link) whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/email-files/US_National_Action_Plan_on_Women_Peace_and_Security.pdf. The Plan provides a statement of policy, excerpted below.

Developments

The goal of this National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security is as simple as it is profound: to empower half the world's population as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. Achieving this goal is critical to the U.S. national and global security.

Deadly conflicts can be more effectively avoided, and peace can be best forged and sustained, when women become equal partners in all aspects of peace-building and conflict prevention, when their lives are protected, their experiences considered, and their voices heard.

Details

As directed by the Executive Order signed by President Obama entitled Instituting a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, this Plan describes the course the United States Government will take to accelerate, institutionalize, and better coordinate the U.S. efforts to advance women's inclusion in peace negotiations, peacebuilding activities, and conflict prevention; to protect women from sexual and gender-based violence; and to ensure equal access to relief and recovery assistance, in areas of conflict and insecurity. …

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Above all, this National Action Plan expresses the United States' unqualified commitment to integrating women's views and perspectives fully into the U.S. diplomatic, security, and development efforts—not simply as beneficiaries, but as agents of peace, reconciliation, development, growth, and stability. We welcome this opportunity to work with the U.S. international partners to make the promise of this commitment real, to advance implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1325, and to make significant progress toward the goal of sustainable peace and security for all.

The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton provided a preview and context for the National Action Plan in a speech she delivered on December 16, 2011 at the International Crisis Group's “In Pursuit of Peace” Award dinner. Secretary Clinton's speech is available at (internet link) state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/12/178967.htm. Secretary Clinton's address began with a review of recent conflicts around the world, their impact on women, and women's lack of representation at the negotiations to end the conflicts. Many of these facts were also related, with footnotes identifying source information, in a State Department Fact Sheet, available at (internet link) state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/12/179160.htm. Secretary Clinton then introduced the National Action Plan:

…In 2000, the international community took a major step by adopting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, recognizing that women are not just victims of conflict, they are agents of peace. So let us move beyond women being seen as spoils of war, to making sure for the first time that the world is looking at women as actors, not victims; as leaders, not followers.

The United States proudly supported 1325 and four follow-up resolutions. And we're pleased that the UN, NATO, and many other nations and institutions have made important strides in implementing these ideas.

But the promise remains largely unfulfilled because legal and structural barriers in too many places prevent women from participating. Cultural norms—real or imagined—often create physical threats that prevent them from attaining a formal role.

Well, we can't wait any longer.

So on Monday, the Obama Administration will launch a comprehensive new roadmap that will be accelerating and institutionalizing efforts across the U.S. Government to advance women's participation in making and keeping peace. In a speech on Monday at Georgetown University, I will explain how the U.S. troops, the U.S. diplomats, and the U.S. development experts will all work together to take the U.S. commitment to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 to the next level and make it a priority for American foreign policy.

Secretary Clinton's December 19 Georgetown speech, mentioned above and excerpted below, is available at (internet link) state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/12/179173.htm.

More about The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security

Today, I want to focus on one aspect of peacemaking that too often goes overlooked—the role of women in ending conflict and building lasting security. Some of you may have watched a week ago Saturday as three remarkable women—two from Liberia, one from Yemen—accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. For years, many of us have tried to show the world that women are not just victims of war; they are agents of peace. And that was the wisdom behind the historic United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which was adopted a decade ago but whose promise remains largely unfulfilled. So it was deeply heartening to see those three women command the global spotlight and urge the international community to adopt an approach to making peace that includes women as full and equal partners.

Developments

…[T]his is not just a woman's issue. It cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs. It truly does cut to the heart of the U.S. national security and the security of people everywhere, because the sad fact is that the way the international community tries to build peace and security today just isn't getting the job done. Dozens of active conflicts are raging around the world, undermining regional and global stability, and ravaging entire populations. And more than half of all peace agreements fail within five years.

At the same time, women are too often excluded from both the negotiations that make peace and the institutions that maintain it. Now of course, some women wield weapons of war—that's true—and many more are victims of it. But too few are empowered to be instruments of peace and security. That is an unacceptable waste of talent and of opportunity for the rest of us as well. Across the Middle East and North Africa, nations are emerging from revolution and beginning the transition to democracy. And here too, women are being excluded and increasingly even targeted.

Details

That is why this morning, President Obama signed an Executive Order launching the first-ever U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security—a comprehensive roadmap for accelerating and institutionalizing efforts across the United States Government to advance women's participation in making and keeping peace. This plan builds on the President's national security strategy, and it was jointly developed by the Departments of State and Defense, USAID, and others with guidance from the White House. I also want to take a moment to recognize all the U.S. partners in civil society and the private sector who contributed, many of whom are here today. Without your on-the-ground experience, your passionate commitment, and your tireless effort, this plan would not exist, and we look forward to working just as closely together with you on implementing it.

Let me describe briefly how we will do that. The plan lays out five areas in which we will redouble the U.S. efforts. First, we will partner with women in vulnerable areas to prevent conflicts from breaking out in the first place. Women are bellwethers of society and, in fact, sometimes they do play the role of canary in the coal mine. They know when communities are fraying and when citizens fear for their safety. Studies suggest that women's physical security and higher levels of gender equality correlate with security and peacefulness of entire countries. But political leaders too often overlook women's knowledge and experience until it's too late to stop violence from spiraling out of control.

So the United States will invest in early warning systems that incorporate gender analysis and monitor increases in violence and discrimination against women, which can be indicators of future conflict. We will also support grassroots women's organizations that work to stop violence and promote peace. And because women's economic empowerment leads to greater prosperity for their societies, we are putting women and girls at the center of the U.S. global efforts on food security, health, and entrepreneurship. We are working to lower barriers to their economic participation so more women in more places have the opportunity to own their land, start their businesses, access markets, steps that will ultimately lift up not only their families but entire economies and societies.

But what if, despite the U.S. best efforts, conflict does flare? A second focus of the U.S. National Action Plan is strengthening protection for women and girls during and after conflict. We will work with partners on the ground to crack down on rape as a tactic of war, hold perpetrators of violence accountable, and support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

Now one place to start is with the poorly trained soldiers and police who contribute to a culture of lawlessness, of violence and impunity, and often are fueled by discrimination against any woman outside their family. The United States will help build the capacity of foreign militaries, police forces, and justice systems to strengthen the rule of law and ensure that protecting civilians and stopping sexual and gender-based violence in particular is a shared priority. We are also working with the United Nations to recruit more female peacekeepers, to better train all peacekeepers to prevent, predict, and react to violence against civilians, and to address the political dynamics that drive sexual violence in conflict areas, because it's not just soldiers. Political leaders, local influentials set the tone for these abuses, and they must be held accountable as well.

The United States will support survivors of violence and help give them new tools to report crimes and access shelters, rehabilitation centers, legal support, and other services. We will also back advocacy organizations that reach out to men and boys, including religious and tribal leaders, to reduce sexual and gender-based violence in homes and communities.

I worked some years ago with citizens in Senegal to end the practice of female circumcision, and we made the case on the basis that it was bad for the health of the future mothers of Senegal. And we were able to convince tribal and religious leaders to join the U.S. cause, and it's that kind of programmatic approach that we want to see more of.

Now ultimately, the best way to protect citizens is to end the conflict itself. So a third focus of the National Action Plan is expanding women's participation in peace processes and decision-making institutions before, during, and after conflicts. As I explained in my speech on Friday in New York, women bring critical perspectives and concerns to the peace table, and can help shape stronger and more durable agreements.

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Take just one example. During 2006 peace negotiations in Darfur, male negotiators deadlocked over the control of a particular river until local women, who have the experience of fetching water and washing clothes, pointed out that the river had already dried up.…

Excluding women means excluding the entire wealth of knowledge, experience, and talent we can offer. So the United States will use the full weight of the U.S. diplomacy to push combatants and mediators to include women as equal partners in peace negotiations. We will work with civil society to help women and other leaders give voice to the voiceless. And we will also help countries affected by conflict design laws, policies, and practices that promote gender equality so that women can be partners in rebuilding their societies after the violence ends.

And that brings me to the fourth focus of the U.S. plan—ensuring that relief and recovery efforts address the distinct needs of women and girls who are the linchpins of families and communities and invaluable partners in stabilizing countries scarred by conflict. This is crucial because humanitarian crises caused by conflict can be just as dangerous as the fighting itself and can sow the seeds of future instability. Women are often among the most vulnerable in crises, yet they rarely receive a proportionate share of assistance or have the chance to help set post-conflict priorities. But with the right tools and support, women can lead recovery efforts and help get their communities back on their feet.

So the United States will encourage the U.S. international partners to include women and civil society organizations in the design and implementation of relief efforts and reconstruction planning. We will designate gender advisors for all USAID crisis response and recovery teams, and these advisors will highlight the specific concerns of women and girls to ensure that their perspectives are solicited and incorporated in the design and implementation of the U.S. programs. Refugees and other displaced people are highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including sexual violence. So we will prioritize prevention and response to sexual violence, along with other lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and help build critical services such as food distribution, emergency education, cash-for-work programs, and health centers around women and their needs, including reproductive and maternal healthcare.

Now, I realize that this National Action Plan lays out an ambitious agenda that will require a lot of concentrated and coordinated effort. So the fifth focus is institutionalizing this work across the United States Government. As part of this process, we will increase training for the U.S. troops, diplomats, and development experts on international human rights and humanitarian law, protecting civilians, preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence, and combating trafficking-in-persons. We will update policies and practices across the U.S. government, because the U.S. goal is to fundamentally change the way we do business.

The President's Executive Order directs key departments and agencies to develop comprehensive strategies to implement the National Action Plan within five months. … And the National Action Plan will help us work with allies and partners here at home as well as abroad … And in fact, more than 30 countries have already developed their own national action plans.

NATO is factoring women and their needs into key planning processes and training courses, stationing gender experts throughout operational headquarters, and deploying female engagement teams to Afghanistan, where the alliance is also training local women to serve in the security forces. In 2012, 10 percent of the Afghan military academy's class will be women, and by 2014 Afghanistan expects to field 5,000 women Afghan national police officers.

The United Nations is also making important progress, building on Resolution 1325. With strong U.S. support, the Security Council has already adopted four additional resolutions on women and security in just the past three years. And last month, the General Assembly's Third Committee adopted a new U.S.-led resolution to encourage greater political participation for women and an expanded role in making and keeping peace. And the establishment of a new organization within the United Nations system focused on gender called United Nations Women, headed by the former President of Chile Michele Bachelet is also making this an important focus. And the Secretary General has appointed a special representative for sexual violence in conflict—a step we strongly supported—and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has steadily improved its guidance to peacekeeping in order to offer protection and leadership as key training components.

Now, why is all this happening, all these countries, the United Nations, NATO, and certainly us? Well, the reason is because we are convinced. We have enough anecdotal evidence and research that demonstrates women in peacekeeping is both the right thing to do and the smart thing, as well. It's right, because, after all, women are affected disproportionately by conflict; they deserve to participate in the decisions that shape their own lives. And it's the smart thing because we have seen again and again that women participating in these processes builds more durable peace.

The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): A White House Fact Sheet issued on the same day and available at (internet link) whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/19/fact-sheet-united-states-national-action-plan-women-peace-and-security summarized the objectives of the Plan and the commitments of U.S. government agencies under the Plan. The White House Fact Sheet is excerpted below.

More about The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security

…Together, the Executive Order and National Action Plan chart a roadmap for how the United States will accelerate and institutionalize efforts across the government to advance women's participation in preventing conflict and keeping peace. The documents represent a fundamental change in how the U.S. will approach its diplomatic, military, and development-based support to women in areas of conflict, by ensuring that their perspectives and considerations of gender are woven into the fabric of how the United States approaches peace processes, conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and humanitarian assistance.

Developments

The National Action Plan contains commitments by the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative targeted at meeting the following national objectives:

• National Integration and Institutionalization: Through interagency coordination, policy development, enhanced professional training and education, and evaluation, the United States Government will institutionalize a gender-responsive approach to its diplomatic, development, and defense-related work in conflict-affected environments.

• Participation in Peace Processes and Decision-making: The United States Government will improve the prospects for inclusive, just, and sustainable peace by promoting and strengthening women's rights and effective leadership and substantive participation in peace processes, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, transitional processes, and decision-making institutions in conflict-affected environments.

• Protection from Violence: The United States Government will strengthen its efforts to prevent—and protect women and children from—harm, exploitation, discrimination, and abuse, including sexual and gender-based violence and trafficking in persons, and to hold perpetrators accountable in conflict-affected environments.

• Conflict Prevention: The United States Government will promote women's roles in conflict prevention, improve conflict early-warning and response systems through the integration of gender perspectives, and invest in women and girls' health, education, and economic opportunity to create conditions for stable societies and lasting peace.

• Access to Relief and Recovery: The United States Government will respond to the distinct needs of women and children in conflict-affected disasters and crises, including by providing safe, equitable access to humanitarian assistance.

In line with these objectives, agencies will:

Details

• Establish and improve policy and training on Women, Peace, and Security;

• Advocate for the integration of women and gender perspectives in negotiations concerning conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and political transitions, including through U.S. delegations serving as a model;

• Build women's capacity for roles in local and national government, the security sector, and civil society in conflict-affected environments, while supporting NGOs that advocate on behalf of women's participation in decision-making;

• Work with partner nations to develop laws and policies that promote and strengthen women's rights and women's participation in security-related decision-making bodies;

• Improve the capacity of the United Nations system, peacekeepers, partner militaries and law enforcement, and implementing contractors and aid workers to better prevent and respond to conflict-related violence against women, including sexual and gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and trafficking in persons;

• Ensure conflict early-warning systems include gender-specific data and are responsive to sexual and gender-based violence, while investing in women and girls as a means to reduce the long-term drivers of conflict; and

• Promote women's equal access to aid distribution mechanisms and services, support access to reproductive health in emergencies, and ensure that U.S. government crisis response and recovery teams have access to gender expertise.

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To ensure comprehensive follow-through, agencies will be held accountable for their commitments under the National Action Plan. As directed by the Executive Order, the Departments of State and Defense, and USAID will designate officers to ensure implementation, and will submit to the National Security Advisor agency-specific plans establishing time-bound, measurable, resourced actions. These plans will be coordinated by a standing interagency committee chaired by the White House National Security Staff. This committee will:

• Monitor and evaluate actions taken in support of national objectives through the creation of specific indicators;

• Integrate the concepts behind Women, Peace, and Security into relevant national-level policies and strategies;

• Establish a mechanism for regular consultation with civil society representatives;

• Report annually to the National Security Council Deputies Committee on progress made toward achieving commitments, in order to inform a report to the President; and

• In 2015, conduct a comprehensive review of, and update to, the National Action Plan, which will be informed by consultation with international partners and relevant civil society organizations.

The U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security embodies and sets forth the United States' commitment to ensuring that women around the world play an equal role in promoting peace and achieving just and enduring security. Today and in the years to come, the Obama Administration dedicates itself to bringing the ideas behind the National Action Plan to life in pursuit of this essential goal.